Nettie Rosenstein Jewelry (1935-1975)
Nettie was born in 1890 in Salzburg, Austria and later with her parents moved to Harlem, New York.
As a young woman, Nettie married a businessman who ran a women’s underwear business. Under the surname of her husband, she began a carrier in the fashion world. She started with clothing but proceeded to design linen, bags, perfumes and finally costume jewelry.
Rosenstein proved to be a talented designer and her company achieved stunning success; in 1937 her business grossed one million USD in sales and a year later she received the Neiman Marcus Fashion Award. One of her greatest achievements was her ‘little black dress’ designed to be worn from day to evening with low-cut evening necklines combined with daywear silhouettes and materials.
As she became more and more famous, her creations became more expensive, but customers were willing to pay those higher prices because of the quality, perfect execution and exquisite design. She designed pieces for celebrities including first lady Mamie Eisenhower.
Nettie Rosenstein’s jewelry is collected worldwide and is displayed in Museum collections such as that of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
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